(A) Permit required.
(1) Unless otherwise specified in § 156.153(B), temporary signs require a sign permit.
(2) Temporary signs may be erected and maintained only in accordance with the provisions set forth below.
(B) Signs. Except as otherwise provided herein, a temporary sign is allowed only as a noncommercial sign for the town or a tax-exempt organization.
(1) Temporary signs shall not exceed 35 square feet of sign area.
(2) Only two temporary signs may be erected on any lot.
(3) Temporary signs shall not be illuminated.
(4) Temporary signs shall conform to all other general regulations in this subchapter.
(5) A maximum of two temporary signs will be allowed for a period of 14 days for any one event.
(C) Flags. Flags of the United States and the State of South Carolina may be displayed in a commercial zoning district, under the following conditions:
(1) A maximum of one each of the aforementioned flags may be displayed at one time.
(2) The pole from which the flags are flown shall not exceed either 35 feet or 50 feet in height, as determined by the Town Building Height Plan.
(3) The maximum size of the flag flown from the flagpoles mentioned above shall not exceed:
(a) Six by ten feet for 35-foot flag poles; or
(b) Eight by twelve feet for 50-foot flag poles.
(4) All such flags shall be displayed in accordance with the protocol established by the Congress of the United States and the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina.
(5) Any flag not meeting these conditions shall be deemed a temporary sign subject to the regulations contained herein. However, these conditions shall not apply to the noncommercial display of flags in residential zoning districts.
(6) Provided further that a business located in the federally approved/designated foreign trade zone within the town limits may also display one flag representing a nation other than that of the United States of America, if the business's corporate headquarters is located in a foreign country.
(a) The display of a national flag other than that of the United States of America is limited to that of the country in which the business's corporate headquarters is located, and must adhere to all of the other specific requirements hereunder and to the protocol established in the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10.
(b) Granting of the right herein to fly a foreign national flag is contingent upon reciprocity by the foreign country, itself, with respect to flying the U.S. flag.
(1) It is unlawful to place, erect, or maintain any political sign so as to pose a hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic along streets, sidewalks, or at street corners.
(2) It is unlawful to place, erect, or maintain any political sign that:
(a) Is illuminated; or
(b) Is larger than 16 square feet.
(3) It shall be unlawful to place, erect, or maintain any political sign on private property without the consent of the owner of the property.
(E) Real estate signs.
(1) General.
(a) Any property owner or his agent may display or have displayed on the real property to which it pertains, a sign that advertises the property for sale, lease, rent or exchange, provided the sign meets the requirements of this section.
(b) Real estate signs are prohibited within the public right-of-way or on public property, or as temporary, off-premises, open house signs.
(c) Real estate signs shall be removed within 15 days after such property is no longer for sale, lease, or exchange.
(2) Residential districts.
(a) In residential districts, a sign, not exceeding eight square feet in area, is permitted pertaining to the sale, lease, rental, or display of the property on which the sign is located.
(b) One sign per property.
(3) Nonresidential districts.
(a) In nonresidential districts, a sign, not exceeding 16 square feet, is permitted pertaining to the sale, lease, rental, or display of the property on which the sign is located.
(b) Free-standing real estate signs may be located on vacant parcels only.
(c) All other real estate signs must be affixed to the building or displayed within a window, but not both.
(d) Real estate signs in shopping and/or retail centers must be displayed within the tenant space window and/or in the tenant panel space of the free-standing sign.
(F) Construction signs.
(1) On residential properties:
(a) One building contractor's or developer's sign, not exceeding eight square feet in total area, to be located on the same lot within 15 feet of the front door of the main building;
(b) Subcontractors' signs shall be included within this eight square foot sign;
(c) The signs shall be removed from the site within 30 days after the completion of the project.
(2) On commercial properties:
(a) One identification sign, not exceeding 32 square feet for each contractor, developer, engineer or the like associated with a given project;
(b) The signs shall be located close together in an aesthetically-pleasing manner;
(c) These signs must be removed 30 days after issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the project, or one year after issuance of the building permit, whichever comes first.
(Ord. 97064, passed 12-9-97; Am. Ord. 02024, passed 6-11-02; Am. Ord. 05028, passed 8-10-05; Am. Ord. 11006, passed 2-8-11; Am. Ord. 14047, passed 8-12-14) Penalty, see § 156.034